Police Seize Pounds 700,000 of Stolen Scrap Metal

SUSPECTED stolen metal worth more than pounds 700,000 found at a scrap yard is Britain’s biggest ever seizure, police said today.

More than 350 tonnes of stolen rail track, along with other rail equipment was recovered by Staffordshire Police on Thursday.

Beer kegs, cabling and fencing was also found during the raid at New Haden Metals in Cheadle as part of Operation Amalgam.

A 43-year-old man from the Tean area arrested in connection with the seizure has been released on police bail. Detective Sergeant Tony Nugent, from the British Transport Police Organised Crime Unit, said: “With the high price of metals on world commodity markets, metal and cable theft has become a significant problem for the rail industry, utilities and telecommunications providers. Thieves are risking their lives as well as prison.”